Many products have been introduced over the last 25 years for controlling electrical and electronic devices and appliances within homes and buildings. It is well known to use a variety of communications mediums to enable this control (power lines, phone lines, and purpose built network connectivity such as cabled Ethernet or wireless networks).
More recently, it is known to extend this control to connection via the Internet allowing a further degree of remote control and communication. In addition, surveillance capabilities have been added by using video cameras that can transmit images to monitors in other parts of the home/building as well as supplying these images to remote locations via the Internet. Also, there is discussion that future home and building appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, etc.) will connect to the Internet such that they can communicate over the Internet directly. Among other possible remote interactions, they can communicate their condition and signal the need for service before breakdowns occur, as well as enable diagnostics to be performed remotely via the Internet.
The move toward home and building automation has not necessarily been prioritized according to how the general public accepts new things—especially in light of the fact that old habits are hard to break regarding how one deals with power consuming devices in homes and buildings. While most people may not be ready to have their lights and appliances controlled automatically, there are other motivations that may move them toward installing a home/building monitoring and control system:                Saving money given increasing energy costs        Security/Surveillance/Remote Care        The pervasive nature of home networking and Internet connectivity        Expansion of home entertainment capabilitiesInteraction of Monitoring/Feedback with Automated and Manual Control        
The psychological element is extremely critical in the adoption rate of any system involving monitoring and/or control. Letting a computer control one's home/building appliances that in the past were controlled manually, is a sensitive issue. A monitoring and feedback system is much less disturbing or threatening, but for users who wish to add some amount of automatic control, there must be a carefully planned interaction between the two. It is not uncommon for some lights in homes, and especially in office buildings, to be controlled by circuits containing motion detectors. Invariably, there are occurrences where the motion detector causes the lights to be shut off at the wrong time. This can easily get annoying since, as is commonly known, it takes a multitude of positive interactions to overcome the emotional effect of a single negative interaction.
Alternately, let's say that there exists a local PC (Personal Computer) running software for home automation and control, and a centrally controlled light switch that is programmed to shut off at 1:00 AM regardless of switch position to ensure that it is not left on all night accidentally.
Now, let's say the user has stayed up late and is in the room with this switch. At the programmed time, the automatic control system will shut off the power at the switch. (It may signal the user some time prior to shutting off by flashing the lights). To prevent the switch in question from causing the user great aggravation, it must have the ability to override the auto shutoff event. If the switch has a transmit capability such as that described below for EMAC (Energy Monitoring And Control) points, the user could, for instance, toggle the switch or push a mode button after the flashing warning (or if the light has turned off already), and that action would be transmitted back to the central controlling PC to allow a revised scenario to occur. Even if the override can be performed locally without interaction with the central PC, it is useful to transmit back to the central PC that the event has happened to aid in avoiding similar user aggravation in the future. For instance, the central control system could “learn” and, in this case, delay the auto shutoff of that particular light switch until 1:00 AM or later, or switch to a motion detector-controlled mode after 1:00.
The most common mechanism today for controlling lights is based on motion detectors incorporated into the controlling switch assembly or alternately incorporated into the light socket assembly. These work fairly well in some circumstances—especially in spaces where people seldom go such as attics and closets. However, in primary living areas, they can often cause a negative interaction with the user. For instance, the inventor installed a light switch with motion detector at the entry to his living room. Unfortunately, the detector's range does not cover the entire room, thus occasionally leaving the inventor “in the dark”. Were there a multitude of motion detectors scattered around this same room—communicating through a data communications link such that the light control circuit was guided in a more informed manner (as described later in this invention)—the inventor would be more positively illuminated.
Interaction of Monitoring/Feedback with Audio/Video Functionality
Although this invention deals primarily with energy use, monitoring, feedback, and control, the overall system in a given home or building may also deal with the distribution and control of multi-media information including audio and video. Over time, the communications link between the EMAC points of this invention and the central controlling device (usually a PC or Residential Gateway), will have more and more bandwidth capability, such that this link also becomes the primary means for distributing digital multimedia information throughout the home or building. Thus, there will be a coexistence, if not a functional link, between the elements of this invention focused on energy monitoring, feedback, and control, and elements focused on audio/video integration and control. This transmission of audio/video information can be for communications, security, or entertainment purposes.
No Feedback on Energy Consumption
At the time of this writing, energy costs have risen substantially and are likely to continue to do so. One of the first, and most important problems consumers are faced with is knowing exactly where, and how much power is being consumed in specific areas/appliances in their homes and buildings. Today's home and building automation systems are much more focused on controlling than on providing energy usage feedback. Meanwhile, the typical occupant may have little or no idea of where the energy is actually being consumed.
Simplistic Control of Heating and Cooling Systems based on Limited Information
Today's typical control system for heating and cooling, the traditional thermostat, does not take advantage of networked connectivity and the information gathering that it affords, thereby missing the opportunity to provide a much more comfortable and energy efficient thermal environment. Even today's “programmable” thermostat observes only the temperature at it's own location. It is therefore very common for rooms or offices not containing the thermostat to be overheated or overcooled. Such rooms or offices waste energy if they are not occupied, or make the occupants uncomfortable if they are occupied.
Security Systems
The International Association of Chiefs of Police estimates that between 95% and 98% of all home-alarm calls are false, costing police departments nationwide about $600 million a year. If a Security Company, or the Police, could remotely view the interior of the home or building where the alarm has just been activated, most of this money could be saved. Security companies offer video surveillance, but the systems are complex and expensive and not easily adapted to existing homes without extensive additional wiring and adding provisions for mounting and powering the video cameras.
Intruder Confrontation Avoidance
Hundreds of innocent people are killed every year because they confronted an intruder in their home. The occupant may have owned a gun—the intruder may have carried one—either way, the result was the same. Hundreds more are killed accidentally by friends and relatives because they are assumed to be intruders. Most of these instances could have been avoided if the “Security QuickView” technology described herein had been available that was easy to use, given the occupant is probably in bed and only half-awake.
Conventional security systems don't avoid confrontation. When a conventional alarm is set off, the occupant needs to decide whether the alarm is false or not. If false, they need to call their security service provider to prevent police dispatch and possible false alarm fees. The result is that they walk about the house checking for an intruder. So much for safety.
Some security systems have integrated the security control panel into a “smart home” control center, typically centrally located in the home (usually in a hallway near a primary entrance or in the kitchen), and sometimes including video surveillance capability. Unfortunately, these systems don't help when the occupant is awakened in the middle of the night.
Most confrontations happen at night. Either the alarm goes off or the occupant is awakened by a noise. Either way, the occupant is in their bed in the master bedroom and is groggy and barely awake. Even the brightest persons don't think clearly at moments like these. Absolute “push-button” simplicity is required to enable a quick and accurate decision to be made. If there is a suspected intruder, there should be a direct way to call 911 and also confirm the intrusion with the security service provider. It may be also desirable that an intercom is available to broadcast a message to the intruder that the police have been informed and that they should leave immediately.